Improvement in rudders



.2 N rrnn STATES PATENT FFICE.

IMPROVEMENT lN RUDDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 132,991, dated November12, 18772.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD EANDLY THOMAS, ofKids Grove, near Stokeon-Trent, England, have invented a new and usefulI1nprovement in Rudders for Vessels, of which the following is aspecification:

My invention consists of a rudder of two blades, arranged side by side,one on each side of the axis, and distant from each other so as to allowa solid flow of water between them, connected at top by a horizontal baror disk to the axis or shaft; also connected in like manner at thebottom to a pivot stepped in the projecting end of the keel, and alsodivided at or near the middle vertically, and similarly connected bydisks or bars to a journal fitted in a block in which the projecting endof the propeller-shaft is also jonrnaled, so as to strengthen the rudderand support thepropellcr-shatt, all as hereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rudderpropeller and part of a shipshull, with the hearings or" the rudder-shaft sectioned; Fig. 2 is a rearelevation of the rudder; Fig. 3 is a top View; and Fig. at is ahorizontal section of Fig. 3 on the line :0 m of Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A and A represent the two propeller-blades, placed side by side onopposite sides of the axis, and connected at the top to the shaft B by ahorizontal disk, 0, also connected at the lower ends to the pivot D byadisk, E. Op-

posite the propeller-shaft F these blades are divided, and they areconnected by the disks G to a journal, H, between said disks, which isfitted in bearing-block I, in which the propeller-shaft has also abearing, K, by which the blades are greatly strengthened and thepropeller-shaft is considerably supported. The disks are provided withnumerous large holes, L, to relieve them from lilting the water or beingresisted by it as the stern of the vessel rises and falls.

Two blades in this arrangement, being eccentric to the longitudinalvertical axis, have more than double the power of one blade of the samesize arranged in the axis, and being centered with the axis as to itstransverse plane they are balanced as to each other, also as to theaxis, so they can be operated as easily as a single-balanced blade canbe.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent A rudder of two blades, A A, arranged side by side onopposite sides of the axis, as described, divided opposite thepropeller-shaft, and provided with a journal thereat, with abearing-block fitted on it, and receiving the journal on thepropellershai't, substantially as specified.

RICHARD H. THOMAS.

Witnesses A. LUDINGTON, H. G. SroMs.

